Tire-tightener.



Patented Dec. l6, I902. I

No. -7I5,757.'

a. w. 600K. v

TIRE TIGHTENER. (Application filed. nine so, 19o2.;

"UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE \V. COOK, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY FELLEMAN, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

TlRE-l'lGHTENER.

salfan'CIELCATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 715,757, dated December 1 1 Application filed June 30, 1902. fierial No. 113,721. (No model.)

1'0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. COOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tire-Tighteners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to tire-tighteners of that class wherein expansion of the folly and tire is effected through the medium of a threaded nut and sleeve mounted upon the outer end of a spoke; and my object is to produce a device of this character which is of simple, strong, durable, and cheap construction and which can be easily and quickly applied to a wheel.

To this end the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed,and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a wheel equipped with tire-tightening mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, full size. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line III III of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view of the outer end of the non-rotatable sleeve forming a part of the mechanism. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the nut for adjusting said sleeve and tightening the folly, tire, and spoke.

In the said drawings, 1 designates the hub, 2 the spokes, 3 the felly, and 4 the tire, of a wheel. One or more of the spokes is diametrically reduced at its outer end, so as to form the rounded shoulder 5 at the outer end of the body portion of the spoke and the tenon 6 beyond said shoulder, said tenon being adapted to fit slidingly in the radial hole 7 in the folly, and the latter is provided in its inner edge and at diametrically opposite sides of said hole with sockets 8.

9 designates a reinforce or strengthening plate fitting against the inner edge of the folly and provided with a central hole 10, registering with hole 7, and notches 11, registering with sockets 8, and said plate is secured, preferably by means ofscrews 12, to the folly.

13 designates a washer fitting upon the tenon and having its inner side concaved or dished to snugly engage the rounded end of the body portion of the spoke, so as to protect the latter from chipping or splintering at such point and for another purpose here inafterexplained.

14 designates an externally-threaded sleeve fitting snugly upon the tenon and bearing at its outer end against plate 9, and said sleeve is prevented from rotating by the provision of a pair of lugs 15, which project through the notches 11 of plate 9 andinto the sockets of the felly, this relation of the lugs, plate, and felly interlocking the sleeve to the latter in a simple and practical manner, and the sleeve is also preferably enlarged internally at its inner end, as at 16.

17 designates an internally-threaded nut engaging the sleeve and provided at its inner end with an inwardly-projecting flangel8, Which is interposed between the washer and sleeve and is provided at its inner margin with an outwardly-projecting thimble 19, snugly embracing the tenon and fitting in the enlargement of the sleeve.

Assuming that the parts are in the position shown most clearly in Fig. 2 and that it is desired to tighten the tire, the operator by means of a wrench turns the nutin the proper direction to force the sleeve longitudinally outward, the strain incident to this movement being applied by the flange 18 of the nut upon the washer, so as to protect the body portion of the spoke, and by the outer end of the sleeve against the plate 9, which thus protects the inner edge of the folly. This movement by increasing the conjoint length of the nut and sleeve in efiect lengthens the spoke, and thereby forces the felly and tire farther from the hub, the result being that said parts and the spoke are tightened.

By providing the nut with the thimble it is given an extended bearing directly on the tenon, so that when the sleeve moves outwardly that portion of the tenon between the on the tenon or had simply the narrow flange 18 hearing against the same, as in either of the latter cases the portion of the tenon not directly engaged by the nut or sleeve when the latter is moved outwardly would occur nearer the point of junction of the nut and washer, and consequently where more leverage or strain would be imposed upon it.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a tire-tightener which embodies the feature of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of invention and which may be modified in minor particulars without departing from the principle of construction involved.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a felly having a radial opening, and having sockets at its inner side and at opposite sides of such opening, a tire upon the telly, a spoke having a tenon at its outer end fitting in the telly-opening, an externally-threaded sleeve fitting slidingly on the spoke and having lugs at its outer end engaging the sockets of the felly, and an internally-threaded nut engaging said sleeve and imposing strain at its inner end against the spoke and adapted when turned in the proper direction to force the sleeve outward.

2. The combination of a felly having a radial opening and having sockets at its inner side and at opposite sides of such opening, a tire upon the felly, a plate secured to the inner edge of the telly, and provided with an opening and notches registering respectively with the opening and sockets of the folly, a spoke having its outer end reduced to form a tenon, fitting slidingly in the plate and felly openings, a washer upon the tenon and hearing against the body portion of the spoke, an externally-ti]readed sleeve fitting slidingly on the tenon and bearing at its outer end against said plate and having lugs engaging the notches and sockets of the plate and felly, and an internally-threaded nut engaging the sleeve and hearing at its inner end against said washer.

3. The combination of a felly having a radial opening and having sockets at its inner side and at opposite sides of such opening, a tire upon the felly, a plate secured to the inner edge of the felly, and provided with an opening and notches registering respectively with the opening and sockets of the felly, a spoke having its outer end reduced to form a tenon, fitting slidingly in the plate and felly openings, a washer upon the tenon and hearing against the body portion of the spoke, an externally-threaded sleeve fitting slidingly on the tenon and hearing at its outer end against said plate and having lugs engaging the notches and sockets of the plate and felly; said sleeve being enlarged internally at its inner end, and a nut engaging said sleeve and provided at its inner end with an inwardly-projecting flange bearing against the washer,and at the inner margin of said flange with an outwardly-projecting thirnble slidingly engaging the tenon and fitting in the internal enlargement of the sleeve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE WV. COOK.

\Vitnesses:

G. Y. THORPE, H. C. RODGERS. 

